The art of capturing the image of the vintage

The Genesis

Sometimes, two wine regions meet and they inspire one another

It all began with a meeting between Champagne and the Rhone Valley, around shared values of open-mindedness and respect for terroir. This encounter gave birth to a daring idea of creating a Champagne that is both rare and full of character: one that would portray the most trustworthy image of a single and unique year. This vision – capturing the very best portrait of a season – is the inspiration behind the name Sténopé.

The Approach

Always a vintage, Sténopé is the result of a precise and unique blend of black and white grapes: Pinot noir and Chardonnay, two emblematic Champagne varieties.

The Cellar Master, Michel PARISOT carefully selects the grapes from his preferred vineyard plots. This same attention to detail is applied during the pressing of the grapes, and the vinification – most of which takes place in barrel, as well as during the delicate “prise de mousse” stage which is followed by a prolonged bottle ageing.

The Ambition

The challenge is, harvest upon harvest, to interpret a season, with all its unique characteristics that become apparent over time and, with one sip, to take each person on a journey of the senses, to the heart of that year.

What the heavens had in store for us…

An eventful year.
Winter, with its rain and exceptional snowfall, has extremely low temperatures and frequent frosts.
The very dry and unusually warm spring causes the first vine buds to appear during the mid-April frosts. Water stress is noticed in May.
Hail and thunderstorms in June are followed by rain (sometimes excessive) in July, along with cooler temperatures. The harvest begins at the end of August in order to ensure healthy conditions for the vines and thus the best possible quality.

A vintage that is a testament to the hard work of men and women

A real compromise made on a case-by-case basis between ripening trends and the risk of deterioration, the early ripening of this vintage goes hand in hand with the technical expertise of increasingly precise wine-growing techniques. A delicate Champagne wine is born… »